New Insight hybrid thirstier, but more practical

It may use more fuel than its predecessor did a decade ago, but Honda reckons the new Insight will deliver more tangible benefits to the environment.

23 November 2010Richard Blackburn

2010 Honda Insight hybrid. Photo:

2010 Honda Insight hybrid. Photo:

2010 Honda Insight hybrid. Photo:

2010 Honda Insight hybrid. Photo:

2010 Honda Insight hybrid. Photo:

2010 Honda Insight hybrid. Photo:

2010 Honda Insight hybrid. Photo:

2010 Honda Insight hybrid. Photo:

2010 Honda Insight hybrid. Photo:

Honda's new Insight small car may use two-thirds more fuel than the 2001 version of the car with the same name, but the car maker claims it will have a more beneficial effect on the planet.

The Japanese maker says the new Insight, which will become Australia's cheapest hybrid when it goes on sale next month, will sell in much larger numbers than the original, and in the process make a bigger dent in CO2 emissions.

Unlike the 2001 model, a quirky two-seater that cost $55,000 and attracted roughly 50 buyers in total during five years on sale, the 2010 Insight will start from $29,990, $10,000 less than the world's best-known hybrid, the Toyota Prius. The Toyota Hybrid Camry starts at $36,990.

The entry level Insight will offer more than just the promise of lower fuel bills, with standard equipment including six airbags, stability control, keyless entry, Bluetooth, climate control air-conditioning and parking sensors. A USB port is standard, while the steering wheel gets audio control buttons and paddle-shift levers for changing gears manually.

It will also have a speedo that glows green when you drive efficiently, linked to a reward system that allows you to grow digital plants on your dashboard.

The more expensive VTi-L model will cost $33,490 and adds auto on/off wipers and headlights, a leather steering wheel, bigger wheels, fog lights and a satellite navigation system that includes a reversing camera.

Honda expects to sell about 200 Insights a month, with two-thirds of buyers tipped to opt for the more expensive model.

The company's marketing and sales boss, Stephen Collins, says the car should appeal to tertiary-educated, city dwellers who are looking at both hybrids and small premium hatches.

"They want to drive a hybrid but they still want something that is fun to drive as well as fuel-efficient and affordable," he says.

Honda says the Insight is 37 per cent more fuel-efficient than the average petrol-powered small car. The new Insight is powered by a 1.3-litre petrol engine supplemented by a small electric motor powered by nickel metal hydride batteries. It has a continuously variable automatic transmission.

It uses 4.6 litres of fuel per 100km and emits 109g/km of CO2. It's still a far cry from the original Insight, which used just 2.8L/100km. And it's not as frugal as the Prius, which uses just 3.9 litres of fuel per 100km. But it remains significantly more efficient than Australia's top-selling small car, the Mazda3, which uses 8.2L/100km.

The Insight's biggest advantage over rival conventional petrol cars is its fuel use in city driving, where it uses just 4.9L/100km, compared with 11.2L/100km for the Mazda3.

Maximum power for the Insight is 72kW at 5800rpm, while peak torque is 167Nm. But Honda says the modest figures don't reflect the driving characteristics of the car, as maximum torque, or pulling power, is available from just 1000rpm.

Honda has moved to allay customer fears about the life of the car's battery by offering an eight-year, unlimited kilometre warranty for the car's battery.

It says the battery should last up to 15 years and a replacement will cost just $1875 plus fitment costs, a figure it claims is "half the price of competitors' batteries".

Honda says the Insight's new, improved electric motor is thinner than the motor in the current Civic Hybrid, which means the entire hybrid system is more compact and lightweight, weighing 28 per cent less and taking up 19 per cent less space. It also sits under the floor rather than behind the rear seats, allowing owners to split fold the rear seats and lay them flat for a more flexible load area. Honda claims the load area of 408 litres is superior to the Toyota Prius.

The Insight shares a platform with the Jazz and City small cars, although its wheelbase (the distance between the front and rear tyres) is slightly longer. The Insight also gets low rolling resistance tyres for improved fuel economy.

The maker also claims improvements to its battery's cooling system making it more efficient, while an economy switch can be flicked to cut the engine's consumption by limiting power, reducing throttle response and lowering air-conditioning performance while increasing the level of regenerative braking, which feeds power back into the batteries when the car is slowing. The engine can also deactivate cylinders to save fuel, and shut down when the car is stopped at traffic lights. Low friction components in the engine have yielded a 2 per cent efficiency improvement over the same engine in the Civic hybrid.

The suspension set-up is also similar to the Civic hybrid, although Honda says the longer wheelbase and lower centre of gravity, courtesy of the floor-mounted battery pack, means the Insight is more eager through corners than the Civic.

"Fun to drive was a key goal for the car, along with fuel efficiency and affordability," Collins says. The Insight scored one of the highest crash testing ratings in history, notching up a five-star result in the process.